Memorial Day 2004: Honoring the Men and Women of Our Armed Forces

MEMORIAL DAY 2004: HONORING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 02, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. ANDER CRENSHAW
OF FLORIDA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2004

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, this past Memorial Day, as we paid tribute to the men and women who fought and died to preserve our freedoms in the past, our Nation is at war, and once again, members of our military are paying the ultimate sacrifice. This Memorial Day as we gathered in our towns to pay tributes to the sacrifices of those from past
wars, we also remembered the burdens of the soldiers and sailors who followed in their footsteps and serve us today.

As in all battles, soldiers and sailors do not go to war to become heroes. They do not fight because they enjoy the heat
of battle. They do not die because they do not love life. They go to war because we, as a Nation, ask them to go and
because they are honorable. They go because they believe deeply in the cause of freedom, and they understand the evils
of terrorism and the threats it presents to our independence. They die because their lives are taken from them on
battlefields. Nevertheless, the loss of even one life weighs heavily on my heart and the heart of every American.

Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom have once again brought our young men and women to the front lines
of battle. And, as in the past, at the core of America's military are the same type of men and women, who like their
ancestors, have answered the call to arms. And like you, they will draw strength from those who served before them.
On D-Day, General Dwight Eisenhower spoke to the troops and said, "You are about to embark upon the great crusade
toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you....... I have full confidence in
your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle." These same words are as true today as they were on June 6, 1944.

This Memorial Day, as in the past, we gathered in cemeteries and in parks across America. In Washington, D.C., we
dedicated the long overdue World War II Memorial. We read markers and inscriptions that pay honor to our brave
patriots. But, the living commemoration for them is not etched in stone on walls or tombstones but in the hearts of free
men and women.

To the men and women who have served our nation so well, thank you for all that you have done for our country,
continue to do to rekindle the memories of those who are no longer with us, and the support you give to those who
carry the burden this day.